Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I would like to approach it by talking about the Northwest Territories sports and recreation partners. The meeting took place on May 10 to 11th in Hay River.

There have been a number of meetings where these partnerships have come together. At this conference, a lot of people from most of the communities representing sports and recreation. About 80 delegates attended this conference. I think only three Northwest Territories communities were not there. There was Minister Allen and MLAs Mr. Nitah, Mr. Braden, and Mr. Delorey were there. There was a discussion that took place, and there was a lot of ideas that flowed from that conference about sports and recreation development in the Northwest Territories. MLA Ms. Lee also submitted a paper for circulation at this conference.

We are currently looking at what we discussed there. A lot of ideas came out of it, and there were a number of workshops. Hopefully, some sort of strategy will evolve from that. I think there was a lot of enthusiasm by community recreation providers and personnel there. The talk in the workshop discussion was very lively. I think it covered the strategic area as to where we are going to go in terms of sports and recreation in the Northwest Territories. I would like to say we are in-between Arctic Winter Games. Hopefully, I would like to push this one, as a department, to come out with something by July. I will circulate whatever information comes out of it to the MLAs for comments prior to the department finalizing a plan of action on where to go.

On the strategic side, I would like to approach it from that point of view. We are working with sports and recreation people in the communities and the department to develop this plan of action.

As for the Arctic Winter Games itself, there is an Arctic Winter Games international committee. We have two representatives representing the Northwest Territories on that committee. Whenever this committee gets together, and whatever develops out of this plan and strategic approach, we will be giving direction to our representative to take it forward and see how we can pursue it at the committee meeting.

There is another conference here coming up in July, the 12th through the 14th. The federal Minister of Sports and Youth, Denny Kodare will be here, and representatives from the Northwest Territories, Yukon Ministers and sports delegates from Nunavut. The three territories will meet here to deal with the regional sports and recreation development. That is another forum in which we could be discussing these areas. There is a delegate list that has been compiled. The delegation will comprise representatives from communities and different sports organizations. There is a plan of action. Hopefully, it will eventually develop into a strategic approach to the whole area of sports and recreation, including the area of Arctic Winter Games by this fall. Thank you.

Thank you. The sports and recreation directions conference that took place in Hay River covered a lot of different areas. It also covered the big events, like the Arctic Winter Games and the involvement of small communities. There was lengthy discussion about it in the four different workshops that were going on. Not only about the Arctic Winter Games, but there was the Canada Summer Games, Western Summer Games, Western Canada Games; these are the bigger events that we send athletes to from the Northwest Territories.

The big ticket item here is the Arctic Winter Games, which is a huge cost. It is mainly funded by Sport North through the Western Canada Lottery funding that we receive. In the review of this whole area of sports and recreation, we will have to look at that as well, in the Arctic Winter Games. It will be very useful if MLAs, I know that a number of MLAs have raised a concern about this issue. I think we are going to have to do it together and work on an approach to take. Maybe I will just leave it at that. Thank you.

Thank you. I have similar concerns as Mr. Miltenberger, not with the Arctic Winter Games, but mainly with the lack of involvement by our smaller communities in the Northwest Territories, not necessarily aboriginal, but smaller communities. I agree with the Arctic Winter Games. I think it is a great event for people of all ages. It is a good boon for the communities that are lucky enough to host it. I think it is a good experience for all involved. At the last Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse, it kind of told me something. That was the first time it was covered by our national sports TV, called TSN. It was great watching our sports in the Northwest Territories. They covered mainly, only aboriginal sports, or Dene games, Arctic sports, et cetera. Those sports involved have been in the Arctic Winter Games from day one. It seems that for Arctic sports, for example, the high kick, the airplane, what not, only the Inuit get involved. For the Dene, only the Dene get involved. Western games like volleyball, hockey, only the white people get involved. Why do we not try to integrate them?

I would like to see someone from Lutselk'e in the high kick competition. I would like to see someone from Tuktoyaktuk snowshoeing. I think Sport North should take it upon themselves, in close working relationship with the Aboriginal Sport Circle, to develop curriculum or material that will introduce all these sports to all communities and spread it out. It is great television. It is great for tourism. I think that is what I would like to see the department work on for the next few years, introduce all sports to all communities. Thank you.

Thank you. I think that as we talk about this issue a lot more, I think we are going to realize that whenever we talk about small communities participating in different events, perhaps there are different events that we have not thought of pursuing at this time. Things that we used to do in the past but do not anymore. Perhaps we have to look at that. As far as participation in the small communities - a lot of it has to do with volunteers, people who commit themselves to give the time to be coaches or to get a team going or just generally to participate. To move participants, let us say, from a small community to be involved to be good in one event or another. I would like to say in the small, southern Dene communities, perhaps try the Arctic sports. I know that it is happening in other jurisdictions.

I think it is through volunteers and people having the commitment and desire to do these things that these things evolve.

Thank you. I am glad the Minister is speaking the same line I am in that area. Having said that, I still want an arena in Lutselk'e.

-- Laughter

We need to have facilities in the smaller communities for our people in the smaller communities to participate meaningfully in these sporting events: Canada Games, Western Canada Games, North American Aboriginal Games is another big one, too. If we do not have the facilities, it is hard to participate meaningfully. If we cannot participate meaningfully, how can we support such endeavours? I am in full support, but if in the next Arctic Winter Games there is no involvement to the level I think there should be involvement from the small communities, then this supportive attitude I have would diminish very quickly.

Having said that, the conference in Hay River told me that sports and recreation is not only just sports. Recreation could be hand games, cultural events, crib tournaments, anything that all community members can get involved in. I do not see that too often in the communities. I see more emphasis placed on sports. Usually when you are talking sports, you are targeting certain age groups, and when you are targeting certain age groups, you are eliminating a whole lot of people from whom the dollars are there for. Getting back to the other games, there should be more tournaments in Arctic sports, for example, Dene games. That is how you develop the sport. I still want an arena in Lutselk'e, though. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The honourable Member is requesting an arena. If you look at the document, capital 6, you will see that it is in the plans for the future years. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We will take the Member's advice and work with that. I think there is a possibility there. The honourable Member also talked about Sports North Federation. I want to say for the record that this Sports North Federation is registered under the Northwest Territories' Society Act as a non-profit organization with a mandate to develop sports in the Northwest Territories. The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs has delegated delivery of the following programs to the federation. This has been done in the past.

They support the volunteer territorial sport organizations. They work on the development and management of Team NWT at the various games, Arctic Winter Games, Canada Games, Western Canada Summer games. They also work on the development of coaches and other volunteers. They support community-regional sports programs and services.

There is also the promotion of health benefits of participation in sports and recreation. The funding for this organization, the majority of the operating revenue is generated from the western Canada lottery in the Northwest Territories. The Minister of this department delegates operation of the lottery to the federation through the Western Canada Lottery Act. This is how this arrangement came to be.

The community sports organization could apply to Sport North requesting assistance and funding for events like Super Soccer and so on. I think there is a need to better understand what Sport North has been set up to do and what they are doing. I think better communication among communities to see what the possibilities are there with this organization.

Again the question, if I understood the Member correctly, he is requesting the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs dedicate a position to work solely with communities to help develop their sports programs and services. I think it is something that would be a positive move. We will consider it. With the recreation sport partners in the Northwest Territories, going through the major planning exercise we did in Hay River in May, once the results come forward, perhaps it could be part of whatever plan comes out of it, to do what the honourable Member is saying. Thank you.

Yes, we could do that. Thank you.